The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-01-14

Tho shah After Big Game, Such ms
wild Asses, Tigers, and Antelope.


The Shah is a mighty hunter. good
shot and an enthusiastic sportsman.
Big game is his delight. The King.
like all the sportsmen of his country.
uses a small bore and bullet. OF
course. royal hunts are to certain ex-
tent battues.
A strange incident of Eastern life.
but u trne one, occurred some twelve
years ago at one of these royal hunt
ings. As usual. couple of regiments
accompanied the Shah on his hunting
party. The men acted as bearers. A
tiger was wounded, and was making off
under the Kings eyes. The ROYAL sec
ond barrel was discharged, but did not
kill the wounded animal. Fearful of
losing his quarry, the King was reload
ing (muzzle-loaders are still preferred
by Persians). when q private soldier
seized the tiger by the tail and detained
him long enough for the Shah to dis
patch the animal. His Majesty made
the soldier captain on the spot.
Wild asses-the favorite chase of the
old Persians, who shoot them from the
saddle with arrows-are hunted with
relays of dogs. The only time to shoot
them is when the young are at the
mothers heel. So swift and timid are
they that it is impossible to get any but
a chance shot at them under any other
circumstances. The young asses are
often taken with greyhounds. Tho
mothers are shot from the saddle; for
Persian sportsman, though he never
shoots flying for fear of wasting his
charge. is very good shot from the
saddle, and will often kill antelope and
other game when going at full speed.
The secret of success in shooting from
the saddle is that the marksman
horse should be going Uentre terre.
The flesh of the young ass is food for
kings. Antelope, save when with Young
at their heel, are seldom secured by
single dog, but are easily run down by
relays of greyhounds, or shot from the
saddle by posted horsemen, the ante
lope being driven toward them by grey"
| hounds.
Hawking is favorite pastime in Per-
STA. Every great parsonage has his
falconer and his falcony; every little
squireen his partridge, hawks and pair
of greyhounds. A Persian turns out at
early dawn and lies in ambush behind a
rock for cartridges which come to drink
in the morning at some spring. AT the
right moment he fires both barrels into
| them. and kills or wounds many; six or
eight brace is not uncommon bag fol
the two shots Of the Shikari. He then
runs up and cuts their throats to make
them lawful, (though many are already
deadD, and walks home, having done a
good days work. For six brace OF
birds he will get about two shillings.
Water fowl are got in the same un'
understandable manner. The villager,
hidden behind low wall built for the
purpose, fires into pack OF them.
Quail give splendid sport in the
high wheat, literally rising in hundreds
are usually netted; bamboo call be-
ing used to attract them. This call inn
itates accurately enough the challenge
of the male bird. and the cock quail,
the most pugnacious of birds, never re-
fuses challenge. The dorai is shot in
the mountains, and, as it only runs. is
an easy victim. 1t weighs often four
pounds, is gray in color, and exquisite
eating. It's. however, rarely obtained,
as it affects high and inaccessible rocks
Wild geese are shot either in the
flock at night or in the daytime by
stalking; for wild geese. if they do not
see the gun. may DO approached with
ease. The double snipe is well known
though not often seen in Europe; it is
about twice the size of our bird, and
makes most delicate dish. Wood
cock are numerous. Hares and ante
lope, patridges, quail, and pigeons are
hawked; while the two former are also
coursed, and SO is the hubara (bustard).
The sand grouse or bagh-a-ghutta'
which word fairly represents its cry, is
an easy prey. The flock Of from six to
a dozen birds is seen in the open plain.
The sportsman approaches very leisure
ly (if on horseback he may get to with
in thirty yards); he then blazes into